Page 16 - Europe

Here's why Europe, Canada are eyeing alternatives to US-made fighter jets

Questions are mounting in Canada and in Europe over whether big-ticket purchases of high-end US weaponry, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, are still a wise strategic choice for Western countries worried about their investment in US defence technology. In less than two months, US President Donald Trump has upended decades of US foreign policy. He has left NATO members questioning whether the US will honour the alliance's commitment to defend each other if other European countries are attacked by Russia. He's also made repeat overtures to Russia and suspended most US foreign aid. And Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, last month told a gathering of European defence ministers that stark strategic realities prevent the US from being primarily focused on the security of Europe. That could impact foreign sales of the Lockheed Martin-produced F-35 and other advanced US jets like the F-16. As the war in Ukraine continues into its fourth year, it's become clear that Eastern ...

Rakesh Batabyal's 'Idea of Order' examines European history, nationalism

Professor Batabyal's Indian perspective on this most recent period of European history is obviously relevant for his home audience, but the European public can also learn from it

Nato chief Mark Rutte says Russia relations should be restored after war

Rutte is walking a fine line between the US - Nato's most important member - and Europe, which is dealing with an increasingly aggressive Russia

Donald Trump has companies in Europe and Asia walking DEI tightrope

Companies from Roche Holding AG to Nissan Motor Co. have backpedaled on DEI policies in the US

Thousands gather in Serbia's capital for rally that tests Vucic's govt

Tens of thousands of people swarmed the streets in Serbia's capital Belgrade on Friday, staging a joyful prelude to a major anti-government rally on the weekend and dealing a blow to populist President Aleksandar Vucic. The citizens of Belgrade came out to welcome thousands of university students who converged on Belgrade from across the country for the rally planned for Saturday that is expected to draw even more people. Saturday's protest is seen as a culmination of months of anti-graft demonstrations in the Balkan country that have posed the biggest challenge so far for Vucic's decade-long firm grip on power in Serbia. Flares, fireworks and flag-waving crowds filled the downtown streets in stark contrast to weeks of fear-mongering spread by Vucic's populists with an aim to dissuade people from attending the rally on Saturday. The autocratic leader has repeatedly warned that violence is planned at the rally and threatened arrests over any incidents. Vucic's supporters have been .

Europe's troop shortages exposed as Trump warns shift in US security focus

In the year after Russia launched outright war on Ukraine, NATO leaders approved a set of military plans designed to repel an invasion of Europe. It was the biggest shake-up of the alliance's defence readiness preparations since the Cold War. The secret plans set out how Western allies would defend NATO territory from the Atlantic to the Arctic, through the Baltic region and Central Europe, down to the Mediterranean Sea. Up to 300,000 troops would move to its eastern flank within 30 days, many of them American. That would climb to 800,000 within six months. But the Trump administration warned last month that US priorities lie elsewhere. Europe must take care of its own security, and those goals now seem questionable. Mustering just 30,000 European troops to police any future peace in Ukraine is proving a challenge. Billions of euros are being shifted to military budgets, but only slowly, and the Europeans are struggling to fire up production in their defence industries. Beyond ...

Seeing more conversion of proof-of-concept to use case in AI: WNS chief

We are starting to see a lot more use cases of AI and GenAI solutions, which were earlier all proofs-of-concept, said Keshav Murugesh

Amid US-Ukraine tensions, Starlink's European rival sees shares soar 500%

Eutelsat has the infrastructure to expand its role in Ukraine, whose troops rely on Starlink for internet connectivity to operate drones, secure messaging, and real-time coordination

Daylight Saving Time 2025 begins: The history, impact, and ongoing debate

Trump has reignited the debate over Daylight Saving Time (DST), calling it a '50-50 issue' and expressing interest in eliminating it. But what exactly is DST, and what's the history behind it?

Macron's comeback: Handling crisis in France to shaping Europe's defence

French President Emmanuel Macron is back at the centre of global diplomacy, seeking to ease relations with President Donald Trump, championing a Ukraine peace plan alongside his British counterpart, and seeing his longstanding desire to boost European defence turning into reality. Six months ago, Macron seemed weaker than ever after his call for early legislative elections produced a hung parliament, sparking an unprecedented crisis. Known for his nonstop political activism, Macron shifted his focus to foreign policy, leaving domestic struggles largely to the prime minister. Now, he appears as the one leader who speaks to Trump several times per week and takes the lead in European support for Ukraine, while positioning himself as the commander-in-chief of the European Union's only nuclear power. Key world player Macron, 47, is one of the few leaders who knew Trump during his first term in office, maintaining despite disagreements a cordial relationship, which both describe as ...

Ukraine determined to end war with 'just and lasting peace': Zelenskyy

Ukrainian President further said that next week, he will visit Saudi Arabia, where he will hold a meeting with the Crown Prince, followed by a meeting with the American team

Poland plans large-scale military training for adult men to boost reserves

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Friday that his government is working on a plan to prepare large-scale military training for every adult male in response to the changing security situation in Europe. The military training would create a reserve force that is adequate to possible threats, Tusk said in a major speech on security to Poland's lower house of parliament, or Sejm. He said that there's a need for an army of 500,000 soldiers, which would include reservists. Last year, the Polish government said that the military was made up of around 200,000 soldiers and was to grow to 220,000 this year with the objective of increasing it to about 300,000. But security fears have grown far more dramatic in recent weeks, as Russia continues to pound Ukraine with missiles and drones, and as the Trump administration has withdrawn military and intelligence support for Ukraine while putting its commitments to NATO in question. Today we are talking about the need for a half-million army i

EU leaders back new defence spending after Trump hints at self-reliance

European Union leaders on Thursday backed new defence spending plans aimed at freeing up billions of euros for the continent's security after the Trump administration signalled that Europe would have to fend for itself in future. Facing the prospect that the United States might cut them adrift, EU leaders held emergency talks in Brussels to explore new ways to beef up their own security and ensure that Ukraine will still be protected. The 27 leaders signed off on a move to loosen budget restrictions so that willing EU countries can increase their military spending. They also urged the European Commission to seek new ways to facilitate significant defence spending at national level in all Member States, a statement said. The EU's executive branch estimates that around 650 billion euros ($702 billion) could be freed up in this way. The leaders also took note of a commission offer of a loan package worth 150 billion euros ($162 billion) to buy new military equipment and invited EU ...

ECB cuts rates, signals possible further easing amid economic uncertainty

Easing for the sixth time since June, the ECB lowered its deposit rate to 2.5 per cent in a nod to slowing inflation and faltering growth

Russia scolds France's Macron for pushing Europe towards another world war

Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered the biggest confrontation between West and Russia since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and both Kremlin and the White House have cautioned against missteps

Russia has become a threat to France and Europe: French President Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron's message to EU: Europe must prepare itself for an era of uncertainty and take greater responsibility for its defence

Macron to confer with allies on protecting Europe with nuclear deterrence

French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday he will confer with European allies on the idea of using France's nuclear deterrent to protect the continent in the face of threats from Russia. Macron made the comments in a televised address to the nation. France is the only nuclear power in the European Union. Macron described Russia as a threat to France and Europe," and said he had decided to open the strategic debate on the protection of our allies on the European continent by our (nuclear) deterrent. He said the use of France's nuclear weapons would remain only in the hands of the French president. Macron also said he hoped to convince US President Donald Trump not to impose tariffs on imports from Europe.

EU leaders open Ukraine talks, seek to adapt to new security demands

European Union leaders plan to hold emergency talks on Thursday to agree ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signalled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine. In just over a month, President Donald Trump has overturned old certainties about US reliability as a security partner, as he embraces Russia and withdraws American support for Ukraine. On Monday, Trump ordered a pause to US military supplies to Ukraine as he sought to press President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to engage in negotiations to end the war with Russia, bringing fresh urgency to the EU summit in Brussels. Europe faces a clear and present danger on a scale that none of us have seen in our adult lifetime. Some of our fundamental assumptions are being undermined to their very core," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned in a letter to the EU's 27 leaders, who will consider ways to access more money for defence ...

Donald Trump keeps door open to Ukraine deal with Europe now optimistic

Trump's relatively optimistic assessment could revive prospects for the deal, which Zelenskyy had flown to the US to sign but was scrapped

Wall Street's losing streak deepens as Donald Trump's tariffs kick in

Anxiety over tariffs is also bleeding into the corporate side of the economic equation